In The Spirit of Christmas
by Invader Kathy Starsky
Summary: It's the holidays and alongside the humans and Team Prime, Zetta himself is also ready. However, he soon understands the true beauty of giving rather than receiving. Warning: Some OCXOC, faint angst, a little OOCness, and fluff.


In the Spirit of Christmas

Merry Be-lated Christmas/Happy Holidays and a Happy Be-lated New Year! First I would like to apologize for my absence as this semester was hectic and I barely got all my grades in. I have also been busy with helping my family. I'm back now and ready to update and post new chapters and fics. As always, the OCs featured are mine but the canon characters belong to Hasbro.

* * *

 _On the Nemesis_

The large Decepticon ship loomed over the area near the small town of Jasper, Nevada. However, unknown to the Cybertronains aboard, the next day would be joyous celebration for all humans on Earth. A day filled with gifts, food, songs, lights, and more laughter than a Energon bar full of slagged-face mechs. Yes, the bots on board were very much unfamiliar to the coming celebration.

Well, most of them were…

Zetta chewed the tip of his writing utensil as he scanned the datapad he currently held in his other servo. Each item on the list had been check off but that didn't stop the halfa from checking again.

"Okay, let's see," the ruby-and-sapphire colored mechling murmured to himself as his mismatched optics scanned left-to-right and up-and-down. "I got Freestyle's new equipment, Sideswipe's detailing supplies, Jack's new helmet and gloves, Miko's new microphone, Raf's new software and tablet, Ms. Darby's bath set with spa coupon, Agent Fowler's stay at a hotel with a good restaurant, Knock Out's new waxes and buffer,…"

As he listed off the items and checked them, he allowed himself to make short glances around the room. Since December, and after hearing Sasha's tales of wonder of the most wonderful time of the year, he had begun decorating his quarters and workspace with wintry and Christmassy items. There was holly and garland hung on the walls and ceilings with a few plastic snowflakes dangling overhead sparkled with the prism-like structures. His desk had a small snowman plush, a potted poinsettia plant, a plastic reindeer, a wreath covered with pinecones, tinsel, and bows, and small Santa Claus statuette.

Only Knock Out, Breakdown, and a few Vehicons had seen the inside. They had either chuckled while shaking their helms or just stared in awe before walking away.

Yes, Zettabyte certainly had gotten into the spirit after Sasha had explained the holiday to him, Freestyle, and Sideswipe. He and his femmenet friend were excited while the older mechling had just looked slightly bemused. Of course he wasn't surprised when he visited the Autobots and caught Bumblebee bouncing around and the Autobots setting up for Christmas as well. It wasn't long until all the people in Jasper began to follow, throwing up lights on their houses and putting different holiday figures on their front lawns. While it did get cold in Jasper, the clouds in the small town were incapable of producing snow, hence some had resorted to fake snow or stapling cotton fabrics to their roofs. The Autobots had been no exception, their base featuring a tree.

Although Terrana did not say anything and seemed in as much good spirits (pun intended) as the rest of her colleagues, the Cybertronian teen did not dare consider asking her about her opinion in regards to the chopping down of tree during Christmas. That was basically why he had settled for the gorgeous red flowers. Not to mention that although he found the legend of the magical gift giver, Old Saint Nick, to be delightful he realized he was much too old, in Cybertronian and human terms, to believe. Sasha herself, alongside her aunt, uncle, and cousins, had decided for faux Christmas tree with natural pine essence.

Freestyle and Sideswipe had also been getting into the spirit. The femmenet had added beautiful mulberry and seafoam green holly decals to her body while Sideswipe opted for silvery white snowflakes and whisps of snowy white with a few stripes of green. Zetta himself had settled for simple icy blue snowman on his door and a black reindeer on his other. And just like him, Sideswipe and Freestyle had added a few decorations of their own to their quarters. Freestyle had settled for anything bright and warm with different lights and crystallized structures. Sideswipe had settled for just lights and a wreath.

The food department had been well-covered by Freestyle. The young two-wheeler had created things ranging from sweet to spicy. Energon cookies shaped into Christmassy shapes, oil truffles that varied in flavor as they did in design, Energon rock candies that, in spite of their name, melted in your mouth, oil cider, Nectar-based pastries, and savory rust sticks. They had given Bumblebee a few and the Autobot scout had devoured them in one sitting.

Sideswipe, on the other servo, was more than content to just play different Christmas songs in his room. Although he may have seemed a little unaffected, Zetta knew otherwise as he caught his friend bopping his helm, tapping his pedes, and smiling to the beats of "Merry Frickin Christmas" and "All I Want for Christmas is You."

While they were the only three, it would seem that in some small way, the rest of the Decepticons seemed to be affected by the holiday as well. Knock Out and Breakdown were enjoying the happy atmosphere that the _Nemesis_ ' only youths were bringing in. Many of the Vehicons and Eradicons appeared to be in better moods than usual. Even the ever aloof and intimidating Megatron, Soundwave, and Airachnid had been acting less cold.

The only who had a bit of a Grinch-mode, a term that Zetta had taken great pleasure in adding to his vocabulary, was Bulkhead. And the term had little to do with his color.

As it turned out, Miko would be spending the holidays with her family back in Tokyo while the Sandersons' child returned to his parents for the holidays. Apparently, the whole Nakadai clan was coming together to celebrate the first Christmas of her mother's cousin's firstborn twins. Even if the reunion wasn't happening, the ruby-and-sapphire colored mechling had noticed the only girl of Team Prime's charges acting a bit homesick. The halfa was no stranger to the feeling so he understood how her temporary departure from her host family, her friends, and her guardian was going to be inevitable one way or another.

Even though it would be possible for Bulkhead to ask Ratchet to bridge him to Tokyo, Zetta knew that the high class Nakadai relatives would not be pleased to learn Miko was friends with an "older gentleman" and could possibly forbid her from coming back to Jasper in January. And the neutral youth was pretty sure that one of her relatives would catch her sneaking out to greet him, even if it was for a moment. Zettabyte never though he would feel sympathy for the mech who had made his dislike for him apparent ever since he came to Earth but things had somewhat began smoothing out for the past few weeks.

That reason alone was why the ruby-and-sapphire mechling had decided to be the one to "offer the olive branch", as the humans said, and give the moss-colored mech some tickets to a special Monster Truck Rally. The event was set in February but neither Autobot or his human charge had been able to obtain them, which is why he was sure the gift was a winner. Hopefully, anyway.

He checked his internal chronometer and nearly jumped when he saw it was a quarter passed six. The last item on his list was Sasha's gift which he was suppose to pick up before seven! The halfa felt bad about putting his first human friend at the bottom of the list but at the same time he wanted to get her something good that no one else had got her. Just like Miko, Sasha was also busy with the presence of family, namely her aunt, uncle, and cousins. Thankfully, she decided to spend this Christmas in Jasper.

Not only was her family spending it at some fancy dinner being hosted by her father's friend but someone else was in need of her as well.

The day after school let out for winter vacation, Sasha had gotten a call from her aunt and uncle explaining that they were bringing another relative, one which also belonged to the Morgan side of the raven-haired girl's family. Little Mona Morgan, barely having turned eight, would be spending Christmas in Jasper due to the fact that her parents were humanitarians helping out in the field at Sudan. Like Lizzie and Ted Morgan, Mona's parents did not care for using their wealth to live the high life but rather gave it to help others.

And while Mona was just as caring and helpful as her parents, they had decided to safely put her with some relatives for the holidays as they would be busy and wanted her to have a fun Christmas with family. Sasha knew that with her cousins bringing home a few friends and significant others, Mona would need someone to give her attention as the two middle-aged adults would be busy with their own children and other guests. Zetta understood and did manage to pay her a few quick waves through the window and visits when she was out.

As he headed out, the ruby-and-sapphire mechling felt pity weigh heavily in his spark. How many times had he been left alone with his Amma or even just a few servants? One too many times to count, that much he knew.

"Maybe I could pick something nice up for her while I'm getting Sasha's gift," the Cybertronian teen hummed thoughtfully.

However, deep down, he knew that a toy couldn't replace the absence of parents.

But at least he could try to make her happy.

* * *

 _At Sasha's house_

Sasha turned the volume up as the breaking sound of a glass soda bottle echoed from the kitchen. She turned her attention to the coffee table filled with popcorn and some candy, popping some sharp cheddar popcorn into her mouth. Her heart melted as she felt the smaller body press closer to her side.

No sooner had Mona arrived did Sasha immediately feel the need to take her under her arm. The girl had her father's chocolatey locks and her mother's hazel eyes. Her only companions had been her stuffed rabbit and her kitten, Sunlight. At first, Sasha was worried that Midnight, who Lizzie and Ted had been told about quite awhile ago, would act aggressively towards the smaller feline. However, everyone was pleasantly shocked by how gentle and motherly the black mammal was with the smaller ginger colored animal. The former stray even carried the smaller pet in her mouth from time to time, treating Sunlight as if she was her own.

The kitten's owner was just as sweet and innocent. Although she had been a bit intimidated by the cousins who she had not seen since the last family barbecue last spring, she wasted no time in trying to bond with them. And it just so happens that it was the raven-haired high schooler who she immediately took to. While Chrissie, Ruby, and Jeremy did try their best to spend time with the youngest in the household, they were preoccupied with the partners and friends they brought home. Sasha was more than content with sharing her room with Mona, both agreeing to allow their respective felines to sleep in the room at night.

Thankfully, the mini drones had made themselves scarce. Shadowfang, Blacksky, and Darkspinner had been well-behaved enough to stay in their plush casings. The nature lover had to keep herself from laughing like a hyena when she discovered how the youngest Morgan in the house had decided to try and hang the dark-themed plushies on the Christmas tree. But the drones in disguise had taken it all in stride and, as a reward, Sasha allowed them to wander the house at night as long as they hid should anyone get up for a midnight snack or to use the bathroom.

 _Not a creature was stirring except for three little robots_ , the goth thought humorously to herself.

"I like the way Rabbit adopts Kessie," Mona said aloud. "It reminds me of some of my mom and dad's friends who adopted. They're nice."

"I bet they are," the older of the Morgan girls agreed with a smile as her eyes fell on the empty Christmas mug on the coffee table. "You want some more hot chocolate?"

"With marshmallows please," the little brunette requested politely with a nod and smile.

Taking the two mugs, one blue with snowflakes and the other red with a snowman, the older of the two Morgans ventured into the kitchen. Just as she suspected Chrissie's roommate, Jocelyn, and Jeremy's lady friend, Daphne, was hustling and bustling while Jeremy's roommate, Austin, was having a playful, if abrasive, shoving contest with Chrissie's gentleman friend, Theo. Only Ruby's lady friend, Mattie, and her friend, Eli, were remaining calm as they helped clean up the thankfully empty broken Pepsi bottle. The cousins themselves were busy with the light spread they laid out of red velvet crinkle cookies, spinach artichoke dip and pita chips, mini sliders, cranberry and brie mini sandwiches, apple cider, and hot chocolate.

As she poured the hot chocolate and grabbed some marshmallows, Sasha decided to grab some of the cookies and sandwiches as well. Passing by the hectic group of college students, the raven-haired girl was quick to catch another glassware before it hit the ground before placing it on the counter.

"Thanks Sasha," Ruby said with relief. "We're still cleaning up the last two bottles we dropped."

"You're welcome," the nature lover smiled with nod.

"How is Mona adjusting?" Ruby inquired, lowering her voice a bit.

"So far, so good," the goth nodded, exchanging one last smile before going back to the other room where Mona was petting both Midnight and Sunlight.

As they continued to watch the movie, Mona questioned, "Do you miss your family, Sasha?"

Having predicted the question would come soon, the raven-haired teen answered, "Of course I do. But knowing that they're happy, safe, and thinking of me makes things a bit more bearable."

Mona nodded before responding, "I know. And I feel bad because I know that there are some other kids out there who don't have families."

The nature lover felt her heart lurch as she realized how true that statement was. Not only through the holiday seasons where she and her family brought food and helped at homeless shelters but also from one friend in particular. She recollected stories of his time after his adopted mother's death and adopted father's absence up until the mech's own death. As much as she wanted him to celebrate his first Christmas with her, they knew that his introduction would stir up some questions that would descend into future complications. Though he had promised to drop off her gift and keep in contact up until her relatives returned to travel and school, she was already missing the Cybertronian youth.

"I wouldn't mind if they adopted me a brother or sister," the little brunette continued. "We could use more company. Right Sunlight?"

The small kitten merely mewled in response to where she was curled with Midnight, earning herself and the older female feline strokes on the heads from Mona.

"Sometimes I like to think of the fun times we had together," the younger of the two Morgan girl continued. "It makes me feel better."

"Well, that's good," the goth said encouragingly. "What's your favorite memory?"

"Last December, we went to a ski resort and we did all kinds of things," Mona listed them cutely on her fingers. "We had snowball fights, we made snow angels and a snow family, we went sledding, and then we made s'mores and had them with hot chocolate and other Christmassy treats."

"Sounds like fun," Sasha said sincerely. "And it's great that you have memories like those to reassure you."

"Yeah," Mona smiled then frowned. "But I'm guessing it doesn't snow here, does it."

"No, unfortunately it doesn't," Sasha confirmed in an apologetic tone. "But I-,"

The nature lover's conversation came to a halt when she heard the phone ring. Knowing that her cousins and their companions were busy in the kitchen, the goth gave her little cousin a "wait one moment" hand gesture before venturing to the phone. She quickly sprinted to the house phone and answered it.

"Hello, Morgan residence," Sasha spoke into the phone with a cheerful tone and smile.

Her eyes widened as she heard her Aunt Lizzie's voice, **"Sasha, it's me. We're at the hospital."**

The smile was gone in a second.

* * *

 _In New York_

Zettabyte was grateful that he had his snow tires on. The rate of the snowfall challenged the hustle of the Big Apple. Thankfully, he had managed to grab Sasha's gift in time, though it felt like forever with the long line of customers, many of them cheery but he noted that quite a few deserved to be on naughty list. He did enjoy checking out his partner's hometown during the holidays. The only thing that ruined his mood, however, was that he failed to find anything for Mona. Many of the shelves were barren and what toys he could find were ones that his human friend told him were already being gifted to the little girl by her relatives.

"There's still time," the halfa tried to reassure himself but was quite aware of how insincere he found.

It was Christmas Eve and people were doing their last minute shopping. On top of that, he only knew so much about Mona from Sasha told him. What could he possibly give a child who he was a stranger to and had everything?

He was startled from his thoughts when he heard a man shouting and a woman's cry ring out.

Zettabyte quickly braked and made his holoform stick its head out. Green pseudo irises scanned the surroundings before stopping on the sidewalk. Two humans, a man and woman, both dressed for the weather albeit the clothes were a bit worn out, huddled helplessly near the crosswalk. The man had dark black hair and hazel eyes whilst the woman had dark brown hair and soft honey brown eyes. The man, who the Cybertronian teen assumed was married to the woman, was holding her close as she clutched her midsection. It suddenly clicked in the ruby and sapphire mechling's processor what was happening. He proceeded to make his holoform exit the front seat and rush for the couple. Upon sensing his approach, both looked up at him, making his spark clench by the hope in the eyes.

"What is it? I heard you two calling out," Zetta's holoform spoke urgently but gently.

"My wife is in labor!" the man said quickly. "We let our neighbor borrow our car so he could go visit his grandmother. The baby was suppose to come in January. The taxis are all busy and neither of us have relatives or friends in this part of town. We tried calling the hospital but all the ambulances are busy and we got cut off. Not even our landlord is home."

"Say no more. Help me get her into the car," the halfa nodded firmly as he began to half carry, half help the woman walk towards the sports car.

"Oh, thank you!" the woman managed out between gasps of discomfort.

"Don't thank me yet," the neutral youth said through his human guise, making sure both were comfortable in the backseat before making the holoform return to his drivers' seat.

No sooner had he gotten settled did he begin to drive, wincing as he kicked up some snow as a result. It felt like a race, though it was not his own life at risk. That seemed to make things all the more stressful. The urgent whispers were not his own doubts or thoughts swirling in his processor but were instead emitting from real people. He cursed under his breath when he hit a red light. Another cry from the woman made Zetta cringe and suddenly, he wished he was sparkling again, safe in his Amma's arms.

 _No!_ he managed to tell himself sharply and bravely. _You have to be strong. You can do this._

Taking a deep breath, he thought back to that particular lesson that took place quite awhile ago. His instructor had told them that talking to the patient was more than just part of a job. It was part of being compassionate.

At that moment, the light turned green and Zetta began driving again but rather than staying in silence, he asked, "Boy or girl?"

The couple stared at him in surprise but the woman spoke, "Girl."

"Are you really all alone?" the halfa inquired gently.

"We moved here only a few months ago. My job doesn't start until after the New Year. We don't exactly know a lot of people, just the neighbor we mentioned and our landlord," the man confirmed.

"Well, my best wishes go out to the both of you," the Cybertronian teen said sincerely.

"Thanks," the man nodded. "You?"

"Just visiting for the holidays," the neutral youth said, trying to be as calm as possible. "Had some things I needed to take care of."

"We're just glad you were here at the right time and place," the woman gasped, trying to sound grateful but panic still evident a bit in her tone. "It's been a rough year. We were only able to get by because we had people who cared help us. Three family friends and a few college acquaintances to be honest."

"Sometime having good people on your side is all a person needs," Zettabyte nodded in agreement. "What is your new job by the way?"

"I'm gonna start as a social worker the third Monday in January," the man answered.

"Kindergarten teacher and part time Sunday school teacher," the woman added, her voice slowly pulling away from any fear. "You?"

"I'm studying towards the medical and scientific fields," the halfa said in gentle, civil tone.

"Oh, that's wonderful," the woman commented sincerely between pants. "I'm sure you'll be able to help many people when you're done with your studies."

"Speaking of which," the man inquired. "You seem pretty young. And I'm not accusing you of truancy because we know the schools are closed but don't your parents know where you are."

"Well, I don't really, you know, have biological guardians," Zetta stated carefully.

"You mean,…you're all alone? On Christmas?" the woman asked, her breathing having finally calmed, Zetta noticed.

"I'm not alone. I have friends who are like family. And I have people who act like parents," the neutral youth said civilly.

For a moment, everything was quiet. Even the outside world seemed to have silenced itself.

"What were they like? Your parents, I mean," the man asked softly.

Zetta hesitated before saying, "Well, my dad was always busy. But my mom was always there. Always teaching me something new or to comfort me. There was never a day where she didn't tell me how much she loved me."

"She sounds like she was a terrific person," the woman commented. "What was her name?"

Without hesitation, Zettabyte answered, "Theta."

Upon stopping at another red light, the ruby and sapphire mechling heard the woman hiss and grunt, "Contractions getting closer together?"

The woman did not speak but nodded furiously. The couple's "driver" struggled to keep his holoform from hitting the steering wheel in frustration. These people needed to get to the hospital and fast.

The Cybertronian teen's holoform looked about his surroundings before landing on something that made hope rise like balloon in the wind. A police car with what looked to be two officers was just a few feet away from him. He opened the window and tried to get their attention by waving but it was futile as they seemed invested in some sort of conversation. Just as he was about to give up, an idea came to mind. His holoform proceeded to lean half of his body out the window and start gathering snow from his roof.

"What are you doing?" the woman asked slightly alarmed.

"Getting us some extra help," Zetta said as he formed the snowball before lugging it hard at the police cruise's passenger side.

The moment the snow hit the car, the two officers jumped in surprise before turning towards the source of the disturbance. Zetta made his holoform wave his hands like a crazy person. Immediately, the officer who was in the driver's seat, a African American woman who looked to be between her late twenties to early thirties, came over with an annoyed expression on her face.

"May I help you, young man?" she asked in a patient though annoyed tone.

"Yes, but only to help them," Zetta said quickly, gesturing to the couple in his backseat.

By this time, the woman had undone her coat due to the maximum warmth of Zetta's heater to reveal her pregnant belly. That along with the panting and nervous looks on both hers and her husband's faces spoke volumes.

Eyes widening, she turned back to the driver, saying, "Follow us."

In less then ten seconds, the police woman ran back to the cruiser before saying something quickly to her partner and before turning on the siren and driving, the cars parting like grass by child's hands. The halfa wasted no time in following her, making sure to stay close behind. In less than ten minutes, both cars stopped in the front of a hospital. The woman and her partner, a Latina that appeared to be slightly younger, exited the vehicle and ran to Zettabyte's backseat doors where they proceeded to help the two civilians out of the car.

"We'll take it from here," the older of the two police women said. "Thank you, sir. By the way, don't worry. You didn't do any damage to the cruiser. And even if you did, it's the holidays and you did a noble deed. Go be with your family."

"Yes, officer. Thank you," the Cybertronian teen nodded. "I know you'll get them in safely. Have a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year's."

As he began to pull away, Zetta heard the man cry out, "Wait! We never got your name!"

"It's Zetta!" the ruby and sapphire mechling called out as he pulled away.

* * *

 _At Jasper Nevada hospital_

June took a long sip of her cinnamon laced coffee before munching on a chocolate chip cookie that had visible signs of red and green M&Ms peeking out. Only two more hours then she could go home to have a small, but a bit eloquent, dinner with her son who had come with her to help with the patients who were staying overnight or wouldn't be released until the New Year. She smiled as she waved at a family leaving, the grandfather being pushed in a wheelchair by the father whilst the mother led her three children out. It always seemed that during this time of year, the hospital seemed a bit more joyful and far less gloomy.

And it didn't hurt that many of residents would donate snacks, baked goods, clothing, decorations, gifts, and other items to the hospital, police station, and other human aids around town during the holidays. As she finished her cookie she though long and hard before reaching for more, deciding that with all the work and excitement that came with being a single mother and an ally to alien robots, she earned herself some extra treats.

No sooner did she put a sugar cookie, a gingerbread cookie, a cranberry white chocolate shortbread cookie, and a chocolate-peppermint meringue mushroom on her plate did she hear someone call out, "Merry Christmas Ms. Darby!"

She turned to look and smiled when she saw a familiar person, or holoform if she had to be honest. Zettabyte's holoform's vibrant green eyes sparkled as he grinned warmly at her. He was currently sporting black jeans, black and blue sneakers, a dark gray sweater, and a red and white plaid scarf with dark green gloves. In his holoform's arms were two gifts wrapped in gold and cherry colored wrapping paper with pine green bows.

"Hello Zetta! Merry Christmas!" the Darby matriarch said as she approached the neutral youth.

"Here, these are for you and Jack," Zettabyte said as he handed her the boxes.

"Oh Zetta, how thoughtful! You didn't have to," the obsidian-haired woman cooed sincerely and gratefully.

"Yes, I did because you and Jack deserve it," the Cybertronian teen insisted eagerly.

"Somebody call my name?" the mentioned onyx-haired boy rounded the corner and smiled upon seeing who said his name. "Hey Zee! Merry Christmas!"

"And Merry Christmas to you too, Jack!" the neutral youth said as his holoform smiled and high-fived the human teen.

"What are you doing here? Did Sasha call you?" Jack inquired, voice lightly touched with concern.

"No, I was just dropping off some-," the ruby and sapphire mechling began but stopped when he noticed the worry. "Wait, why would Sasha ask me to come to the hospital?"

"Her uncle sprained his wrist," the nurse explained before quickly continuing. "It's less dramatic than it sounds. Ted was carrying some heavy boxes to hand out at the shelter and he slipped on a puddle of water and landed on his wrist. It will need to be in a sling but not for too long. They're about to come out and leave in a few minutes."

"Well, it still sounds awful. Especially for it to happen on Christmas Eve," the halfa insisted. "And when they have small child whose parents are in another part of the world."

"Yeah, we met Mona. She's a sweet kid but we can tell she misses her parents," the high school junior nodded in understanding.

"I know. Even though she has parents, _both_ a father and mother who love her, I know how hard it can be when they're not right there," the Cybertronian teen nodded, his holoform's eyes having a far-off look that pained both mother and son.

After a moment of silence, Zetta asked, "Ms. Darby, as a nurse who spends time with patients who don't have family nearby, how do you do it?"

The single parent bit her lip before answering, "Well, each patient varies but the most important thing is to just be there and give them whatever they need so they know there's someone who cares."

"What about a gift?" the neutral youth asked. "What's the best gift to give someone who's homesick or missing someone?"

"I would imagine it would be something that gives them nostalgic feelings. Makes them remember a happy time in their lives," June explained.

"It doesn't even have to be an object," the teen boy put in. "It can be like an event or gesture that makes them feel like they're right at home or a place they wanted to go to or recapture a feeling from."

As their words zoomed around the storm in Zetta's processor, he saw a group of people out of the corner of his holoform's vision. It was Sasha accompanied by her aunt and uncle, the woman doting on her husband as he tried to reassure her that his injury wasn't too severe, alongside all four of her cousins. No doubt the other college-aged guests were still at the house cleaning up and prepping a dinner for their tired, and injured in Ted's case, host and hostess. As the two middle-aged adults spoke to the nurse at the reception, the goth saw her guardian and friend's holoform.

"I'll be right back, I'm just gonna say bye to Nurse Darby and Jack," she told Chrissie, who was holding Mona's hand, before walking over to the group.

Upon making sure none of her relatives were looking, the raven-haired girl hugged the sable-haired pseudo form of her bot friend.

"Bad day, huh?" Zetta stated in a knowing tone, voice full of sympathy.

"It was going fine until we got the call. It was just his wrist but still it was the last thing we needed. Especially for Mona," the nature lover said, pulling away before gesturing to the little girl.

"I have your gift with me but I still need to wrap it," the halfa said, hoping to lift his partner's spirits.

"That's fine. All I want for Christmas is for everybody to be happy," Sasha reassured him. "She told me she wishes it would snow, like it did last Christmas when she was with her parents."

"Sounds like she and Raf would get along," Jack said, trying to sound cheerful.

The goth allowed herself to smile a little bit before seeing her family, "Well, I better get going. Have a Happy Holiday guys!"

The three individuals waved the nature lover goodbye before the onyx-haired boy sighed, "Of all the places that Jasper is located, it had to be in the area of Nevada where it never snows."

"As much as I would love to get the chance to have a White Christmas, it just isn't possible," the obsidian-haired woman stated somberly.

Zettabyte thought for a moment before his holoform's eyes widened. They couldn't make the weather do as they please, but he knew _**someone**_ who very well could.

"I gotta go," he said quickly as he made his holoform head out the door while calling over his shoulder. "See you two! Merry Christmas!"

The Darby mother and son duo stared in surprise and confusion as they watched the ruby and sapphire mechling zoom off.

* * *

 _Back on the Nemesis_

Sideswipe nonchalantly popped a copper rust stick with spicy oil dip into his mouth before chasing it down with the sweet fizzy Energon.

Alongside Freestyle, a few Vehicons had entered his room to enjoy the treats that the sole femmenet on the _Nemesis_ had set up. They were merely drinking high grade and laughing, taking in the enjoyment of the organic holiday atmosphere. The only one besides them who had arrived was Breakdown who was passed out in a Cybtertronian sized chair after intaking too much high grade and work from the past few days. Knock Out had also been present but had left not long after, no doubt to do whatever work on whatever projects or data pads needed to be done. After setting up the snack table, Freestyle had disappeared shortly after, saying she was getting something for Zetta.

Speaking of which, where was Zettabyte?

The Cybertronian teen had told him and Freestyle that he was fetching Sasha's gift but that was a little more than two hours ago. Had the ruby and sapphire mechling gotten stuck somewhere? Was he doing some last minute gift buying? Or was the frontliner just paranoid?

His questions were answered when the missing bot came through the doors, smiling brightly. In one hand, he was carrying what could only be described as the human dessert known as bundt cake that looked as though it was made of Nectar with some pale blue icing.

 _Okay, so I was being paranoid_ , the bright crimson mechling thought to himself.

"Hey, Sides," the halfa greeted, dusting himself off before placing the treat on the table.

"Hey, where have you been?" the slightly older mechling inquired. "You've been gone forever."

"Don't exaggerate," the neutral youth playfully argued. "It's the holidays."

Sideswipe only shrugged back as he sipped his drink some more.

"Where's Freestyle?" Zetta asked, helping himself to the refreshment table.

"She went back to her quarters," the speed-loving fighter said coolly. "Said she had a surprise for you."

"Really?" the Cybertronian teen asked the older one, a look of pleasant surprise shining in his optics. "Do you know what it is?"

"Not a clue," the crimson mechling said nonchalantly.

Zettabyte's mood was not turned off by the lack of knowing. He joined Sideswipe in enjoying the food and the music, both smirking as they noticed how some of the drones were acting comically due to their intake of the food and high grade. One of them even drew on his unconscious partner's face which earned guffaws from the two young Cybertronians and the few drones were still conscious and or sober. Just as he finished his third plate, the halfa's comm beeped, signaling a message.

"Hello," the ruby and sapphire mechling spoke, answering the comm.

[Hey, Zee. Do you mind coming to my quarters? I need help with something,] the on-and-off Decepticon femmenet's voice said cheerily through the comm.

"Sure! I'll be right there," Zetta replied before the comm dropped, turning his attention to Sideswipe. "Freestyle is asking me to come to her quarters."

The crimson mechling merely smirked before saying, "Right."

Perplexed but not deterred by his friend's sly tone, the younger of the two Cybertronian teens ventured out of the party quarters and headed towards his friend/crush's space. When he got to her doors, he couldn't help but knock, a habit that even now the halfa could never bring himself to break. Without any response from other side, the door slid open and the ruby and sapphire mechling stepped inside. He was quite surprised to find the room in darkness but he made no attempt to leave, even as the last bit of light from hall vanished with the closing of the door.

For a moment, he was in total darkness.

Then, slowly, the room began to light up. First it was the red and white string lights hanging from above. Then came the icy blue and violet snowflakes hanging from above. The deer figures came next alongside a small fake plastic tree with blinking parakeet green bulbs. Despite the pleasing aesthetic of the lights, that was not the only thing in which he found great beauty in.

On her berth with an elegant and cool air, Freestyle half sat, half leaned against edge, wearing an off-the-shoulders, red robe with white cotton trim. He didn't know how she managed to get the material but at the moment, he could care less. She wore a content and flirtatious smile on her faceplates, pointing upwards. The neutral youth was confused but he complied and looked up.

No sooner did her look up did he feel his faceplates heat up and his mouth drop open.

Dangling right above him was a familiar plant, a sophisticated dark green with ivory berries that reminded him of pearls, a bright scarlet bow tied around the plant and connecting it to the ceiling among the snowflakes. As he turned to look back at her, he was startled to find that she had removed herself from her stance near the berth and was right in front of him. Before he could say anything else, she cupped his face with both servos before bringing him in for a kiss. Zettabyte was only stunned for a moment before his servos wrapped around the small of her back and pulled her closer, both having their optics closed. Glossas gently probed at each other's lips before they simultaneously surrendered and silently gave each other permission to explored each other's caverns.

After a moment, they broke apart and the femmenet whispered into his audio, "Merry Christmas, Zee."

"Merry Christmas, Free," Zetta purred back, thinking about how happy he was to be spending such a wonderful holiday with equally wonderful friends and family figures.

As they stood under the small Earth flora, a flurry of clouds gathered over Jasper, bringing with them a chilly but delightful surprise for the town.

* * *

 _At Sasha's house_

The raven-haired girl didn't know what woke her up. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she had just felt a peculiar sense that made her whole mind realize something was off. Her instincts were proven correct as she opened her eyes and scanned the room. The moment her eyes fell on her bed, which she had given up for Mona to make her feel more welcomed, Sasha bolted up on the inflatable mattress.

The bed was empty.

Another scan of the room revealed that not only was her little cousin nowhere in sight but that Sunlight was also missing from her red plaid cat bed. At this point, Midnight sensed her owner's alarm and had awoken from her own slumber. The goth proceeded to throw off the covers before standing up, tiredness now forgotten. As she threw on a gray and indigo sleep robe than reached past her knees and hung just above her socks with snowflake and star motifs, she noticed how much colder it was. Had the heater failed?

"Something's going on," the nature lover murmured to herself as she laced up her boots.

The female feline merely stretched and yawned in response before following her mistress out of the room. Upon going down the stairs and reaching the ground floor, Sasha took notice that the Darkspinner, Blacksky, and Shadowfang remained in their plushie forms and hung onto the tree like ornaments, just like when Mona first arrived. That was a relief for the raven-haired girl as it meant that Mona had most likely gotten up and walked out of the room herself and had not ran away or been taken.

Just then, the nature lover heard laughter from outside, the backyard specifically, causing her to feel even more relief and confusion. What on Earth was the little brunette doing outside? Why hadn't she done the typical kid thing and woken up everyone in the house to get ready for Christmas morning? Now concern had returned to the point that no amount of gentle mewling or rubbing from the small pitch black mammal could soothe her.

Heading towards the back door, Sasha opened it and gapped at what she saw.

For a moment, the goth thought she was dreaming and would wake up and find herself back in her darkened bedroom. But as she reached out her hand to touch the small but fiercely cold flecks of ice falling from the sky, she realized it was no dream. All around her was a fine blanket of snow, absolutely no space was spared. And in the middle of it all was Mona, giggling as she pranced about in her winter wear, throwing snow in the air. Sunlight was not too far behind as she followed her young owner. The moment Midnight saw the little kitten playing, she did not hesitate to join in.

Noticing her cousin, the brunette grinned and skipped over, yelling, "Look! We got a white Christmas after all!"

Barely a second after she said that, the rest of the inhabitants came outside and were just as awestruck as the nature lover.

"This…This is unbelievable," Ted Morgan breathed, hand running through his hair as he slowly smiled in shock and excitement.

"Looks like Old Man Winter decided to give us a little gift this year," his wife put in.

All around them, the rest of the inhabitants of Jasper awoke to find winter's snowy surprise all around them. While many were in utter astonishment, others such as the Darby family, the Sawyers, the Gonzalez family, the LaChances, and others found great joy in the change of weather.

As Sasha embraced the joyful chill, she whispered, "Thank you, Zee. Merry Christmas."

* * *

 _At the Autobot base_

To say that Team Prime was shocked to see Fowler arrive in their base was an understatement. Optimus and his team had just finished exchanging and opening gifts, including the ones that a certain neutral youth had left them, when the government agent had strolled in. The man only ever came to the base in regards to Decepticon or M.E.C.H. activity, deliver updates or complaints from his superiors, or check on the kids and June. Not to mention that more than often, he came into the base with a scowl and glare.

However, the only expression on the middle-aged man's face was good-natured with a smile full of contentment. For a moment, all five Cybertronians worried he would quickly burst into a fit of rage and yelling. Even Bulkhead and Ratchet shifted nervously, not wanting to deal with any bad news, especially considering the holiday.

Fowler was the first to speak, "Merry Christmas bots."

Sensing that there was nothing to worry about, the Prime bravely replied kindly, "And a Merry Christmas to you as well, Agent Fowler. What brings you here?"

"Well, I was over at my brother's place, celebrating the holidays with his family, when I found something on my phone that I think you want to see," the liaison said, taking out his phone before he began doing a search.

All five Autobots gathered, optics full of curiosity and expectancy. After a minute or two, Fowler was satisfied as he finally found what he was looking for, evident by his smile widening, before showing his phone to the large titans. While the writing was small, the picture was clear as it showed a couple with small baby wrapped in a rose pink blanket.

"Says here that a young couple in New York, a Marianne and Joshua Baxter, were trying to get to the hospital when a good Samaritan gave them a ride and even got them a police escort," the agent explained. "The Samaritan disappeared after getting them to the hospital but they describe him as a teen with black hair with green highlights and green eyes driving a red and blue hybrid car. All they know is his name and his late mother's name. Says here they hope they see him again someday and they even named their daughter after his mother; Theta."

At once, their optics widened to an impossible size as their jaws all dropped open at once. It was only their leader who calmly smiled.

"It appears that we can learn something from our friend," the former archivist stated nobly. "The greatest gift one can give is to do good out of compassion and to show that there are those who care."

The three males all just continued to stare at the article while the lone femme allowed herself to smile with tearful pride, spark uplifting with joy.

 _Merry Christmas baby_ , was her silent wish.

And to everyone on Earth, human and Cybertronian, it was a Merry Christmas.

Even for the Cons.

* * *

Hello, I'm back! I'm sorry for the belated updates and the absence. It was a tiring and bumpy semester for me. And over a year ago, we experienced a heavy loss in the family during the winter months and the anniversary of the funeral recently passed. I won't go into detail but although we are moving on, we still miss him. Anyway I hope you all enjoy this fic and I again apologize for the lateness. Expect more updates and new stories for me. Haters will be ignored and flamers will be flamed.


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